What is a Paring Knife Used For?

Think of a paring knife as the culinary equivalent to an artist’s most delicate paintbrush — similar to each gentle brushstroke, with a paring knife is all about the details of food preparation. Precise and nimble, this small blade is up to a lot of tasks around the kitchen.

What are Paring Knives Best Used for?

When it comes to accuracy and precision, let’s face it, even the best chefs on the planet have difficulty with certain cuts and slices. This is especially true if they don’t have the right tools for the job at hand.

When it comes to precise cuts, chopping small food items, and more, a pairing knife comes to the rescue, as the preferred knife among cooks of all skill levels for these types of jobs.  Vertoku offers a paring knife in the 5 pieces stainless steel kitchen knives.

Paring Knife Uses

A paring knife is a small-bladed knife that is primarily used for intricate slicing, peeling, coring, and trimming of fruits and vegetables.

A paring knife enables a chef to stay in precise control of detailed work without being concerned about the blade slipping away from their hand or food. They are so controllable that many chefs are able to skip the cutting board altogether, easily manipulating both food items and blade using only their hands. This tactic allows for a close up visual of foods while working with fine cuts and details.

Generally speaking, the blade of a paring knife ranges from 2.5 to 4 inches in length, and as sharp as it is precise.

Main Uses of a Paring Knife:

• Peeling
• Deseeding
• Deveining
• Slicing
• Coring
• Trimming
• Mincing
• Dicing
• Scraping
• Hulling
• Decasing
• Shucking
• Filleting

How to Properly Hold and Handle a Paring Knife

Unlike other knives, the most important aspect of a paring knife is it’s handle. A paring knife is selected for control and accuracy, much of which can be attributed to the knife’s ability to be precisely manipulated. That level of perfection is in large part a result of it’s ergonomic non-slip handle.

It is important to consider a balanced weight and size of the handle and blade. An evenly balanced blade to handle ratio makes use of the blade seem like an extension of your own hand, seamlessly and smoothly gliding in the requisite directions needed.

Grip the handle firmly but not too tight, wrapping your middle, ring and pinky fingers securely around the handle. Position your thumb to the side of the uppermost part of the handle (bolster) where the spine of the blade meets the grip. This improves control and balance. Next, place your index finger on the spine of the handle, improving the ease of slicing, peeling, and coring.

How NOT to Use Your Paring Knife

Because paring knives were designed to handle very specific tasks, it is important that you stay away from trying to use this knife as a common chef's knife. Doing so puts you at risk of potential injury, and the knife at risk of damage.

STAY AWAY FROM

• Carving, deboning, slicing meat
• Hard fruits and veggies such as watermelon, pumpkin, squash, carrots, cantaloupe.
• Slicing bread

OTHER HELPFUL INFO

• Keep out of the dishwasher — hand wash only
• Keep your knife dry — wet knives lead to rust, mold, and dullness
• Always cover your knives when storing them
• Avoid scooping — don’t use this knife to scoop up chopped veggies into your hand from the cutting board
• Do not use a knife immediately after sharpening — microscopic metal bits will get into your food

Now that You Know What Paring Knives are Used for, What’s Next?

If you haven’t’ yet added a paring knife to your kitchen cupboard, consider checking out Vertoku’s line of professional chef knives that look as stunning as they perform. You won’t be disappointed with these impressively engineered, forged, high-quality steel blades, offering a blend of precision, balance and durability that can’t be beaten.